Mona Food Village to Showcase Student Entrepreneurs

The University of the West Indies (UWI) will be hosting the Mona Food Village on Friday, March 27, at the Taylor Hall Lawn from 12 noon to 8:00 p.m., aimed at showcasing student entrepreneurs.

The student-led event will offer space for student vendors to promote and sell their products, while engaging a wider audience.

Director, Mona Food Village, Jabari Robinson, said the concept was born from the need among students who rely on small businesses to support their tuition and daily expenses.

“We saw a gap on campus. We know that students at UWI and other universities usually fund their tuition and their lifestyle through entrepreneurship. What we wanted to do was to create an experience or an environment where students could come and share what they’re selling and earn some revenue to support their studies or lifestyle,” he said.

Mr. Robinson added that the initiative also seeks to enrich campus life by creating vibrant food and cultural experiences.

“We also wanted to provide students with food experiences and activities as well, because we realized that there’s a lot of emerging food brands and student vendors who needed opportunities to sell and grow. So, this was created to meet both needs at once,” he explained.

The event, which is free to attend, is expected to feature between 20 and 25 vendors offering a range of products, from food items to artisan goods.

Mr. Robinson said while student entrepreneurs often demonstrate strong creativity and product quality, their growth is frequently limited by lack of exposure and capital.

“The thing about student businesses is that they often have a lot of talent and strong products, but it’s limited to the real commercial exposure. They have limited capital, and limited visibility… their audience really stops at patrons that are on campus,” he said.

“So, what we want to give them is a sense of visibility, a sense of customer interaction and a chance to operate in a structured environment alongside some established brands,” he added.

In addition to vendor showcases, the event will feature a range of entertainment and interactive activities, including performances by student singers, dancers, and the University Dramatic Arts Society (UDAS), as well as competitions throughout the day.

Looking ahead, organisers are hoping to establish the Mona Food Village as a recurring fixture in the campus calendar.

“What we hope to achieve is a repeatable and scalable event, so each semester, each quarter, we have an event or a pop-up that helps to support students,” Mr. Robinson said.

“So those artisans that sell beads, soaps, they can come on board. Also, students that sell their food items, of course, can come on board and have a hub… where they can push their business and earn something,” he continued.

Mr. Robinson is encouraging strong support from the campus community and the wider public.

“It’s a student-led event and we want it to be taken seriously, so we’re just asking everybody to come out. We’ll have the direction signs up, so from you enter Taylor Hall, we’ll have direction signs to lead you onto the lawn for the event,” he said.

For more information, persons can visit @monafoodvillage on Instagram.